Well pumping device



Sept 19, 1933- c. R. HETZLER WELL PUMPING DEVICE Filed Oct. l1, 1932 IN VE NTOR.

A TTORN E YS Patented Sept. 19,1933

lufNi'rEo ws'rArss PpArENfr foFFlcE -1,927,494 WELLPUMPINGDEVICE Charles R. Hetzler, Rock Springs, Wyo. Application voctober 1:1, 1932. 'serial No. 637,222 -9 Claims. (c1. 10s- 232).

This invention relates to oil-wellcasings, and more particularly Vto casings of the vtype by which oil is expellednfrom the bottom portion of a` well by a pressure fluid introduced into the well.

The primary object of the invention is` to provide a valve-means tocontrol the flow of pressure fluid at a point inside the casing by an adjustable element at or above the mouth of the well, and other objects reside in details ofv construction and novel and useful arrangements and combinations of parts, by which the first named result is attained and which-add to the efficiency, practicability and commercialvalue of the casing. Y v,

In the vaccompanying drawing, in the several views of which like parts are similarly desig- Dated, Y o v Y,

Figure 1 represents a vertical sectionalelevation of the invention, and n y y;

Figure 2, an'enlarged sectional elevation of a part of the construction, which inpractise is inside the well, 1 f

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3%3 of Figure 1, Y

Figure-l is a similar section taken 4onvthe 4line,

iffi olf'Figure 1v,V z A, n

E'gure '5 is a cross sectionalong the line 5-,5 @Figure y ,Y

Figure 6 is a sectional viewin detail, of a slip used in the construction, k d Figure 7 is an elevation of the upper portion of the appliance, drawn to a reduced scale and showing its connections with the outside source of pressureuid, and Y,

` Figure f8 is anelevationshowing the connection of a gas tube included in the invention, with an vexternal source of Esu-pply.

A conduit, commonly known as the well casing, 'is shown at 5. At the upper end lof the casing in screw-threaded connection therewith, is a hollow coupling 6 having an outlet opening '7. A hole -8,-oppo`site tl'ie opening 7, is provided Vfor the connection of `a pressure gauge 9. A gatevalve -lo'c'ontrls the 'flow of gasto the gauge, and apipe 12 is :connected with the opening rI to con- Veythe Aoil lifted Yfrom the well to a distant point of delivery. e t Y Screwed upon the upper 1end "of the coupling is a head 13, and inside thishead is aslip-ring 14 rotatably supportedupon the end vofthe coupling 6 inside the head, by ball-bearings 1'5. `The bore of the bushing is tapered at theupp'er vend thereof, for the application of a sectional, hollow slip 16, which is interiorlyserrated for yfrictional engagement with a tubing'concentrically disposed within the casing. The slip has handle 17 to 'fa'- cilitate its manipulation.

The tubing is composed of sections 18 and 19 connected by a union 20. Itis the upper section that engages with the slip 16. This section is made of heavier material than the other andfit 'projects through and above kthe head 13 for its connection with a source of pressure, usually gas obtained from the same well or from another well. When the gas is obtained 'from another well or another external source of supply, a con'- nection may be provided like that shown in Figure 8 in which a valve 35 controls the iiowof gas from an external source of supply, diagrammatically indicated at 36, to the tube 18, and a valve 37 controls the flow of liquid from the tube 18 to an outlet indicated at 38 when the operation is reversed.

Thehea'd has at its upper end a stuiing box 21, with an adjustable packing gland 2.2 to pro- T5 vide a Afluid-tight passage for the section 18 of 'tlietubing The tubing has at its lower end, an orifice 23 through which, in the operation, a pressure fluid supplied to thetubing, may enter the casing. The orifice is tapered to provide a valveseat which cooperates with a correspondingly formed valve 24 integral with a perforated partition 25, inside a tubing 26 placed around the other tubing in spacedrelation thereto. This 'outer ktubing surrounds the lower portion of the tubing 19 and extends downwardly beyond the Same.-

A strainer section 27-is connected to the bodypart of the tubing, at the lower end thereof, by 'means of a collar 28, and the before-mentioned perforated partition 25 constituting a iiange Vof the valve 24 isV clamped .between theV sections 26 and 27 inside the collar 28. The strainer-section 'is perforated and Vclosed at its lower end, and it Vserves to provide a screened outlet for a pressure fluid supplied to the tubing at the upper end thereof, in'to the v'casing through which the oil is lifted to the outlet.

The outside tubing has at its upper end'a cap piece 29 which maintains it in coaxial relation tothe inner tubing, and car-springs 30 at the outside of the outer tubing engage the inner surface of the casing to frictionally hold the tubing against rotation. The cap-piece is interiorly threaded, and a nut 31 cooperating with the screwthread of the ycap-piece is welded or otherwise secured around the inner tubing 19 inside the cap 29.

In the operation vof the invention, the pres- H0 sure y:fluid entering the tubing at the upper end thereof passes the valve 24, through the orifice 23, and through the perforations of the flange 25 and through those of the end-section 27, into the casing 5 at the lower end thereof. The gas or other pressure-fluid causes the oil to rise in the casing to its outlet, from where it passes through the pipe 12 to a point of delivery.

It is of paramount importance that the supply of pressure-fluid be regulated at .the lower end of the tubing by means at a point outside the weil, and this is accomplished by rotating the inner tubing from outside the head, thereby drawing the outer tubing 26 upwardly or downwardly to vary the position of the valve seat in the orifice 23 relative to the valve 24, it being understood that the springs 30 hold the outer tubing against rotation, without preventing its longitudinal movement.

In order to rotate the tubing, a suitable leverappliance is clamped upon thepart thereof, eX- teriorly of the head 13. This appliance is not a part of the present invention and has not been shown in the drawing. In order to place the tubing in the casing to the required depth, the slip 16 is lifted, after which Ythe tubing may be adjusted lengthwise. By replacing the slip inside the ring, the tube is clamped in its adjustedposition.

The ball bearings 15 facilitate rotation of the tubing, it being understood that there is suicient clearance between the slip-ring 14 and the tube head 13, to permit of 'rotation of the ring without friction.

While,` within the scope of the invention, the pressure fluid may be obtained from an external source, it is preferred wherever it is possible to employ the gas rising from the well to which the tubing is applied. With this object in View, a branch pipe 32 of the pipe 12, is connected with an extension 33 of the tubing 18-19, so that the gas rising from the well may pass into the tubing, andthrough the tubing to the bottom portion of the well, as hereinbefore described.

In the above description of theinvention, it has been presumed that the pressure fluid enters the well by means of the tubing 19, while'the oil in the well rises thru the casing 5 and is delivered thru the outlet '7 and the pipe 12.

i It will be readily apparent, however, that the operation may be reversed without any change in the construction and arrangement of the elements comprised in the invention. The pressure fiuid may be introduced into the well by means of the pipe 12, the opening 7 and the casing 5, and the oil forced upwardly for delivery through the tubings'lQ and 18.

Also in case the pressure fiuid is the gas rising from the well, it will pass from the section 18 of the tubing thru the extension 33 and the branch pipe 32 into the pipe 12 and thru the opening 7 into the interior of the casing 5. Y

While within the scope of the invention either of the hereinabove described methods -of operating the apparatus may be employed, it has been found preferable in many instances Vto use the last mentioned method in'which the pressure fluid is introduced into the casing and the oil is delivered by means of the tubing.

The advantages of the invention will be readily Aapparent to those versed in the art.

The provision of the adjustable-orifice in the bottom of the well, and of the means for adjusting the orifice from outside the same, eliminates the necessity of pulling the tubing from the well and in consequence, avoids the use of a derrick or other equipment heretofore employed for that purpose.

The production of the well may be continued without interruption, and in high pressure wells, high pressure on the connections of the equipment is eliminated.

The necessity of having a heating plant for the application of artificial heat to keep the moisture in the gas from freezing where the pressure is reduced at the surface of the ground is also avoided.

In this connection, it is observed that when the gas comes from the well at high pressure and the pressure is reduced at the surface, the temperature is lowered in proportion to the degree of pressure reduction, in which case artificial heat must be applied to keep the moisture in the gas from freezing.

In the present invention, however, the gas pressure is reduced at the bottom of the well and the temperature is maintained, notwithstanding said reduction, so that when the oil comes to the surface, it is of a temperature suiiiciently high to render application of artificial frequently to an extent that the Well had to be blowed to remove the liquid, is in the use of the present invention, constantly removed through the opening in the bottom of the well, and the Waste of production, expense and danger to operators in blowing the well are completely eliminated.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: Y l

1. The combination with a well-casing, of a. tubing in the Well casing having in thebottomportion of the casing an orifice communicating with the interior of the casing,` an anti-friction bearing supporting the tubing for rotation, and means for opening and closing the orifice by rotation of the tubing.

2. The combination with a Well-casing, of a y tubing in the' well casing having in the bottomportion of the casing an orifice communicating with the interior of the casing, a head at the upper end of the casing, having a fluid-tight passage for the tubing, a suspension-element for the tubing, an anti-friction bearing supporting said element in the head, and means for opening and closingv rthe orifice by rotation of the tubing.

3. The combination with a Well-casing of a tubing in the well casing having in the bottomportion of the casing an orifice communicating with the interior of thecasing, a head at the upper end of the casing, having a fluid-tight passage for the tubing, a suspension-element for the tubing including a slip-ring, and a slip frictionally connecting the tubing with the ring, a bearing supporting the slip ring in the head, and means for `opening and closing the orifice by rotation of the tubing.

4. The combination with a well-casing, of a rotary tubing in the wellcasing having in the bottom-portion of the casing an orifice, a valve cooperative with the orifice to open and close the same, a tubing outside'the first-mentioned rio iso

tubing, carrying the valve and providing a conneotion between the orice and the interior of the casing, screw-threaded members cooperating to move the outer tubing by rotation of the inner tubing, and means for holding the outer tubing against rotary movement.

5. The combination with a well-casing, of a rotary tubing in the well casing having in the bottom-portion of the casing an orice, a Valve cooperative with the orice to open and close the same, a tubing outside the rst-mentioned tubing, carrying the Valve and providing a connection between the orifice and the interior of the casing, screw-threaded members cooperating to move the outer tubing by rotation of the inner tubing, and means for holding the outer tubing against rotary movement by frictional engagement with the casing.

6. The combination with a well-casing, of a tubing in the Well casing having in the bottomportion of the casing an orifice, the tubing being mounted for rotation and for longitudinal adjustment, a valve cooperating with the orioe to open and close the same, a tubing outside the first-mentioned tubing, carrying the valve Yand providing a connection between the orice and the interior of the casing, screw-threaded members cooperating to move the outer tubing by rotation of the inner tubing, and means for holding the outer tubing against rotation while permitting of its longitudinal movement with the inner tubing.

7. The combination with a well-casing, of a tubing in the well casing having in the bottomportion of thecasing an orifice, the tubing being mounted for rotation and for longitudinal adjustment, a valve cooperating with the orice to open and close the same,l a tubing outside the first-mentioned tubing, carrying the valve and providing a connection between the orifice and the interior of the casing, screw-threaded members cooperating to move the outer tubing by rotation of the inner tubing, and a spring element on the outer tubing, engaging the casing to hold the outer tubing against rotation while permitting of its longitudinal movement with the inner tubing.

8. The combination with a well-casing, of a rotary tubing in the well casing having in the bottom-portion of the casing an orifice, a valve cooperative with the orice to open and close the same, a tubing outside the first-mentioned tubing, carrying the valve and providing a connection between the orice and the interior of the casing, a screw-threaded member on the outside tubing, a nut on the inner tubing cooperating with the threaded member to move the outer tubing by rotation of the inner tubing, and means for holding the outer tubing against rotary movement.

9. The combination with a well-casing having an outlet for rising liquid, of a tubing in the well casing having in the bottom portion of the casing an orifice thru which a pressure fluid, supplied to the tubing, may enter the casing to lift liquid from a Well, in which the casing is inserted, to the outlet, means for the rotary support of the tubing, a connection permitting of lengthwise adjustment ofthe tubing relative to the supporting means, and means for opening and closing the orice from outside the well. y

CHARLES R. HETZLER. 

